I just had a thought, To the OP, You are flatting right?, do you have contents insurance?, if so it will also likely include public liability insurance, talk to them about seeing if you can use this in this case.

(Any Insurance brokers out there got a view on if this would work?, I can't see why not, it is damage to somone's propery caused by your actions, just like if you kicked the car door while drunk in the street)

Really feel for ya, but cars aren't cheap to repair. Get the quote looked at by other repairers to double check, but I doubt it'll be much.

Someone hit my car a few years ago. Looked like a few scratches but ended up being like $1.4K for my 2001 Nissan Primera to get the door and front bumper buffed and shaped back to normal, I think the light cover had to be replaced too IIRC. Made me nearly consider my career options when I saw the quote. Other driver had no insurance either. Went to disputes tribunal because she wouldn't pay up, and she ended up having to pay $10 a week I think, and Vero was nice enough to accept that and be done with it. Fingers crossed perhaps the insurance company will do the same for you if you plead your case well enough to the right person?